From The Other Side Of Town
by Aryal Stone
Summary: It takes only one act of kindness to change someone's life the way he changed mine.
1. Prologue

**From The Other Side of Town**

 _A High School Musical fanfiction_

 _By Aryal Stone_

 **Prologue**

" _No! No you can't take him!"_ He moves to the right, the couch making a faint squeaking sound due to being made out of leather. His hands curl and uncurl inti fists, heart pounding fast. The nightmarish memory taking control and gripping him by the claws. _"Please-he's mine! Let go of him!"_

 _"Mama!" he yells, pressing his hands on the glass of the police car as the door is shut. Tears streaming down his face as his brown hair is wild and untamed in curls around his ears. "I want...my...mama..."_

He kicks the blanket off himself, trying to make himself smaller and keep his screams to himself. The last time his memories plagued him, he woke up the neighbors next door and the people who have been sheltering him for months now are good God fearing people, he won't get them evicted.

Especially when they have a baby on the way, " _mama_!"

His friend Vic is looking to start some new school soon, he promised that he would go with him. It's supposed to be in a neighborhood that is real highend and classy.

You know, a rich neighborhood.

He has to keep from screaming. He has to get a goodnight sleep.

Big day tomorrow, Vic's dad had said. Big day because he might even try to get him into school as well. He just looked down and said nothing, he has no interest in school because he would just get taken away again.

However, it still stands. Big day tomorrow.

Big day.

...

There is a lot of things that he regrets in life. A lot of things.

Not stepping up when his daddy passed away, leaving his mama to do it all. Getting into fights and drugs at school, tearing up his grandmama's bible and started screaming at the ceiling.

Yeah...there's a lot of things he regrets.

When his girlfriend had gotten pregnant, he had been ecstatic. Gotten two jobs- one was (slightly) illegal and the other was working at a carwash. He was doing okay.

He was getting ready to support his child.

 _"I'm leaving, Daniel. And I'm taking our son with me."_

 _"You can't do that."_ he hadn't even yelled, unlike his daddy, when Daniel was upset or hurt, he didn't yell. He whispered; as if wanting to grab on to something and hang on to it. He had watched her walk out with his son.

"Are you sure this is him?" His lawyer asks, Daniel coughs; trying clear the mucus that settled in his lungs and throat; he nods. Grabbing a paper his friend had given him, he looks at the photograph.

His son grew up. "I want to see him."

His lawyer sighs, running a chubby hand over a balding head. Normally, he would wear suits, but Daniel requested a more casual look.

"Daniel," he closes his briefcase. "In your condition-"

"That has no bearing on it!" he yells, well more so raising his voice as loud as it can go before he erupts in a coughing fit. His lawyer sighs, shaking his head as he stands up from an uncomfortable blue hardback chair.

Daniel leans back on his pillows. The hospital has the worst service imaginable; worst than the most disgusting hotels. "It's not a request ...he has. A. Choice." He says between coughing fits.

"I'll let him know, you get some rest."

Nodding, Daniel wheezes once amd closes his eyes. Praying that he gets to see his son, wondering what kind of man he's becoming.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The car that the Richards' have is what Mrs Richards calls an economy car; small, gas effecient and in layman terms 'so darn cute'. Randal drove, his bulky hands dwarfed the steering wheel, his face covered in a mass of dark brown curly hair. His son, Vic, was in the front seat just watching the huge houses as they passed. Brown eyes wide and mouth agape.

"These are nicer than our place, Pops."

Randal chuckles, turning left.

"That's 'cause all them people got money."

Vic makes a face, twisting his lips to the bottom of his nose. "White people, you mean?"

"Now hang on a minute," Randal starts, twisting the steering wheel a soft right on to the drive way of a school parking lot. He goes through what must be the staff parking lot, one little lone car-faded and rusted green- sits by the football field. "Not all white people are rich folk."

Vic rolls his eyes, snorting as he disagrees, "I see a court," he turns to the back seat,"want to play, Chad?"

Sighing, Chad looks out to see the court that Vic is talking about. He allows a tiny smile to appear on his face as he high five's his friend; leaving the car as Randal laughs, undoing his seat belt and getting out to walk to the athletics office.

He knows this school is a long shot, a far cry from the ghetto of Divinity Village. But, and its a big but, maybe he can sway something with the coach.

...

Sneakers squeak, which means these people must polish the court a lot. The hoop is an actual hoop with a net instead of a bucket that someone had put up. Chad looks around, feeling awkward as he sees the cleanliness of not just the basketball court, but the cleanliness of the grounds.

Frowning, he keeps his eyes on his feet.

"Hey!" Vic shouts, running to a cart of balls. He lifts up a black and purple basketball, he looks around in confusion. "Huh, it's not even locked. Don't they worry 'bout sneaks and thieves coming round here?"

Chad shrugs, "must be crazy."

Vic looks at the cart again, rolling the ball between his palms before dribbling off to a hoop on the far end. Chad chases after him, guarding and stealing the ball, making a few baskets.

Chad isn't overly tall, but he is a head taller than most guys his age; also, his hair gives an extra half inch to his height. Vic laughs as he steals the ball from Chad's hands, but soon the victory gies away when he's tumbling to the ground for tripping over loose shoe laces.

Chad smirks, taking the ball and dribbling it to half court, lines it up to take the shot...and-

"You are insane," a voice says, "if you think you can make that shot."

Vic makes a loud guffaw, his upper front teeth larger than his other teeth, he claps Chad on the shoulder. "Yo, he can make any shot; my home boy is good."

The voice laughs, others join him and Chad grips the ball tightly, his eyes going to shoes again. He doesn't turn around, he doesn't need to see the looks on peoples faces reminding him he doesn't belong.

He should just leave.

He should...

"Troy, are you bothering them?" a very feminine, angelic voice asks, and since the woman is coming from the school, Chad got a good look at her. Blonde hair, green eyes. He doesn't let his eyes wander farther south, his mama was a lot of things, but she taught him well about how to look at a woman.

Her lips are full and covered in a gloss. She's wearing a pink turtleneck with faded blue skinny jeans, her shoes are simple white tennis shoes. Hair pulled up into a ponytail.

Chad hasn't seen anyone so pretty before.

"Shar, relax," the guy, must be Troy, says. "I saw them playing, thought I'd join in."

The girl, Shar, rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over chest. Chad makes a note that she is wearing neutral make up and there is a gold chain around her neck.

"Don't harass them okay?" did she just wink at me? Chad fights the urge to rub his eyes. He decides to let it roll off his shoulders, he can't emotionally afford to put any meaning to what could be an eye twitch.

Shar walks off, her bottom swinging softly. A hand claps Chad on the shoulder, forcing eye contact to be made. Vic is off talking to one of the guy's friends, Chad assumes that the one making contact with him is Troy.

"Seriously, how well do you play?"

He shrugs, playing with the ball in his hands.

"Well enough."

Troy raises a brow, "well enough to make it from half court?"

"I..."

"Show me."

"Huh?" Chad is confused.

Troy laughs, grabbing the ball and dribbling it twice before spinning it on his middle finger. "You don't talk much do you?"

Before Chad can speak, Vic jumps him and shakes him playfully. "My man here is the strong silent type."

"Vic! Chad! You boys get to the car!" Chad is too eager to comply; dropping the basketball and nearly running to Randal's old Ford. Vic sighs, apologizing for his friend's behavior and promises a game before sauntering off to the car. Him in the front seat, Chad in the back.

Randal shakes, Chad assumes he's the coach, a muscular (white) hand. Soon all three are off, driving back to the side of town that doesn't quite resemble a foreign country.

However, Chad is keeping the image 'Shar' in his mind. He doesn't get to see very much things that are pretty.

Dang, she is fine.

...

The admissions office at Trinity Christian Jr./Sr. High School is not too big; the walls are a royal blue with gold painted molding around the ceiling and floor. A large, oval table sits in the middle of the room, eight chairs surround the table and teachers sit with open folders, staring at papers upon papers. Some teachers smile at the papers, at the other papers, they frown.

"Well," the principal says on a sigh, "Victor Richards-"

"-Vic." Coach Alderman says, tapping his knees anxiously. The prinicipal goes on, ignoring him and discussing the boys.

"-has a GPA of 2.9, and I think his light will shine brightly here, but the other boy-"

"-Chad."

"...there's not enough on him to say he will even be successful here."

Coach Alderman sighs, chewing his cheek and bouncing his feet on the toes of his shoes. He saw the kids basketball skills; his athletic ability is amazing. Sure, he could do a little better on his technique, but the kid is a natural.

Lord knows, he can use a player like Chad on his team. It doesn't have to be just Troy Bolton making the shots and throwing the passes.

"Coach, I see why you are interested in his athleticism, but even if we did allow him to come here he wouldn't be able to play anyway."

"But-" a female teacher, red hair cut into a bob and thin eye brows with heavy black rimmed glasses, interrupts him.

"It looks like all the other schools he has been to just passed him along."

The English teacher with a brown beard down to his chest nods in agreement.

His chubby hands twisting his beard i to tiny knots.

"His GPA is 0.6."

"No one wanted to deal with him. They gave him D's."

"I saw one B, and it was in art, but still...why set him up to fail by letting him come here?"

"Do you hear yourselves?!" Coach Alderman yells, pounding his fists on the table as he stands up. His fury rolling off his shoulders in mounting waves. The other teachers shrink back and look down at their hands. Only the red headed bob makes direct eye contact.

"This boy came here! Why? Because he believes that we can give him a quality education! Because we _should_ be different from the schools that have passed him along," he points to the school banner flag that hangs proudly on the wall, "what does that say? What does it say? Christian. Either we paint over it or take it seriously."

Silence. Everyone stares at him, watching his anger continue to roll off of his shoulders.

Suddenly, very slowly, the teacher with short red hair in a bob stands. Her hands pressed firmly against each other, her lips in a line. "I concur. Everybody deserves a chance in a good school."

The principal sighs, running his hands down his face. His eyes going to Coach Alderman, "you notify his guardians. Both boys start on Monday."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: I like how I changed Sharpay's character a bit; showing that she grew up some. Don't worry, you will see their parents soon. But, I wanted you guys to know the matured Shapay- oops, I mean Lyz. Please review.**

 **Chapter 2**

Lyz considers herself a patient person; having a twin brother whose autistic has helped strengthen that pstience, but suddenly having a step brother who has a large ego and a overbearing demeanor, let's just say, she's taken to carrying Exedrin migraine in her purse. Extra strength. She understands that Troy is Mr. Popular and his 'posse' all have nothing better to do, but treat him like a god. However, they all need reality checks.

She isn't without her flaws, everyone had them, she just tends to shy away from wearing everything like a second skin. She's always been a stuffer; ever since her dad left and she had taken the initiative to step up and be Ryan's caregiver when their own mother fell apart emotionally and just...zoned out for two years..

It was in those two years that Lyz decided to never go by her first name; reason 1) everyone from grade one to grade twelve called her "sharpei" and barked at her-some went as far as to give her cans of Fancy Feast (ha! She actually uses them to feed her dog! Joke is on those losers!) 2) her first name is a constant reminder of what she wanted to be in her younger life- famous. A star. Her dad was her biggest supporter for that dream, then he left and so did her support 3) After soul searching, she finds Elyzabeth much prettier and demands to be called Lyz.

Troy is just an ass who refuses to honor that one request.

And 4)...just because she wanted a change.

"I heard we are getting two new students." Her friend Kelsi says through her bluetooth earpiece. Lyz rolls her eyes as she goes through some of her clothes.

Wow...she had no idea how crazy about pink she used to be. What was the reason she had wanted to save all her childhood outfits? She doesn't even remember.

"Why do you sound so excited?" Lyz asks, wiping her blonde bangs out of the way. She hears Kelsi groan for a second.

"Our school is sooo small, its nice to have new people to make it bigger."

"Kels," Lyz says, lifting up the grey tote and putting it on the closet shelf before she grabs the plastic bag with her old clothes in it. "Our school is not that small."

"Yeah...go ahead and think that-oh! You're coming out for soccer right? Tryouts are in a couple weeks, and you're the best kicker/goalie we have."

"Yeah...maybe, depends on how Ryan is with his classes."

She frowns when Kelsi uncharacteristically silent, it lasts for a few minutes and is broken wjen Lyz tries to stuff the plastic bag in a large bin, only to have the material rip. "Shoot."

"What?"

"Nothing," she says, stuffing the bin. "Just the plastic bag ripping on me."

A second long silence, "what are you doing?"

"I was going through my clothes."

"Ahh I see."

"Yeah...anyway, I have to go. See you tomorrow?"

Kelsi grins, Lyz can feel it through the phone. "First day of school!"

Lyz laughs, shaking her head as her good friend repeats the scene from Finding Nemo; funny how Kelsi has aleays reminded Lyz of Dory. "Bye bye."

The two girls hang up and, deciding has earned a snack, Lyz goes down to her families modestly sized kitchenette. Her twin brother Ryan is sitting at the table reading his favorite Magic Tree House book; he loves the series and Lyz tries to surprise him by trying to get him at least one book of the series at a time. "Hey, Ryan. Whatcha reading?"

He doesn't look at her, just sits still with his nose in the pages. "Tree house."

"The mummy one?"

He rocks back amd forth, shaking his head as he repeats "nin-ya, nin-ya". Ninja.

Lyz smiles, grabbing a banana and cuts it in half, intending to give Ryan - who has gone back to reading - the other half. Suddenly, its grabbed from her hand and annoyance floods her. "Hey!"

"What?" Troy's annoying friend Jason says, peeling the half and shoving it in his mouth. "Thought you were sharing?"

She puts her hands on her hips abd glares at him, "I was with Ryan!"

"He don't want it-"

"Jase, lay off." Troy says from the back door, his tank top sticking to him from him sweating. Ryan put his hands to his ears, nearly screaming. Troy and Lyz go to stand by him, rubbing his shoulders and trying to calm him down. Troy may be a butthead most the time, but at least he doesn't intentionally hurt others.

Jase guffaws, soundings like a donkey, as he tosses the peelibg in the garbage. "He sounds like-"

"Jason Cross," Lyz states in a firm, threatening voice. "Finish that sentence and I will kill you."

Ryan had started to calm down slightly, right now he had just begun to rock slowly on the stool.

"Jase, back yard. Now or go home."

That shut the stocky brunette up, "you can't seriously be kickin' me out, man."

"I'm not," Troy says, "yard or go home."

Jason shakes his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I have to go anyway...see you in school." with slumped shoulders, he leaves.

Lyz lets out a breath, rubbing Ryan's back slowly, she turns to fave her step brother; who has gone to the kitchenette sink for a cup of water in a power rangers cup. "Sorry...didn't know he'd act like that."

"He's gone now at least."

The two are silent, he swishes his water in his mouth before swallowing. "I have a date with Gabriella tonight. Might definitely not be homd by curfew- cover for me?"

Lyz rolls her eyes, "what else do I have to live for?"

"Smart aleck."

She grins as her eyes point sticks at him, "learned from the best, jerk."

"Whatever, Shar." and...

"Why do you have to have to ruin a sibling moment when we get actually along?"

Troy smirks, setting his cup in the sink amd walking away. Intentionally batking at Lyz. She glares at his back, Ryan looks up and very quickly flips Troy (or the general direction of which Troy had gone in) so fast, its almost a reflex; the gesture is usually followed by a quick "f*** you, Toy".


End file.
